Around 16,000 Nigerians fleeing Boko Haram attacks recently crossed into Cameroonian border villages. UNHCR, its local partners and the authorities in the Far North Region are planning to transfer them to Minawao camp, the main refugee settlement in the region. Cameroon’s Far North region is already hosting some 50,000 refugees and 117,000 people in the Far North Region.

The deteriorating security situation and the resumption of hostilities between parties to the conflict beginning of 2015 further hampered humanitarian access in northern Mali. Out of the 23 incidents recorded during the reporting period, 11 occurred during the month of January only. The majority of incidents relate to violence against personnel, assets and facilities - mainly carjacking due to increased criminality and banditry on road axis.

(Bamako, February 26, 2015) - Humanitarian organizations in Mali are seeking $377 million to cover the needs of over 1.5 million people in 2015. The requested funding will be used to support the second phase of their joint action plan for the period 2014-2016.

Cote D’IvoireIDPs Begin to Return Home
Displaced populations in the country’s western Olodio locality and other areas are gradually returning to their villages despite lingering insecurity. Some 3,000 people fled their homes following armed attacks on Dahioké, Grabo and Irato areas in January. Humanitarian actors are assessing the possibility of food distributions in communities of return.

(Dakar, 16 February 2015): Robert Piper, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel presented the Sahel humanitarian appeal for 2015 in Dakar today. The plan calls for US$1.96 billion to bring vital assistance to millions of people affected by crises in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

Escalating violence is a worrying pattern that threatens hard-won gains in curbing the trend of growing needs in the Sahel. Conflicts and insecurity in northeast Nigeria, Mali and the Central African Republic create more suffering for communities that are already amongst the world’s poorest.